Accumulating device



' ACCUMULATI NG DEVICE Filed May 10 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [JIM/71%672114 7:

June 17, 1924. 1,497,783

E. W. GROVE, JR

ACCUMULATI NG DEVICE Filed May 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 3

@ 7hm47 7 j w Patented June 17, I924.

TESL

EDWIN W. GROVE, JRg, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ACGUMULATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 10,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. Gnovn, J 1 a citizen of the United Statesof America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAccumulating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

This invention relates generally to accumulating devices andparticularly to a device to be used in connection with an automaticmachine whereby the articles formed by said machine may be gathereduntil a predetermined number of said articles have been accumulated,when they will be delivered in a body to a boX or other container.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive device of the kind mentioned above, which may be attached toforming machines now in general use whereby the necessity of manuallyhandling and counting the articles formed is eliminated.

A further object is to provide an accumulating device which willovercome many of the difficulties encountered-in the use of the countingdevices heretofore used.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprisesthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, itis to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variationsand modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

Fig. I is a 'planview of a tablet-forming machine with my accumulatingdevice attached thereto.

Fig. II is a side elevation of a portion of the machine and theaccumulating device shown in Fig. I. i

Fig. III is a plan view of the tablet-receiving receptacle of myaccumulating device,-a fragment of the gatenctuating means being shown.

Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of the mechanism shown in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a section on line VV of Fig. IV.

' Fig. VI is an enlarged fragmentary viewi 1922. Serial No. 559,905.

l showing the mechanism for actuating the gate.

To illustrate one application of my invention, I show in the drawings ama'chinef'o'f the type used to form medical or candy tablets, whichcomprises a base A provided with an enlarged upper portion 13. Theenlarged upper portion B is provided with an inclined spout C, thepurpose of which will be hereinafter described. l

Located immediately above the enlarged upper portion B is a lowerrotatable-member D and an upper rotatable member The rotatable members Dand E are rotatably driven by means of a' nain sh'aft'F which may bedriven by any suitable power device (not shown).

The rotatable member D is provided with a plurality of holes G, each ofwhich contains a die member in the form of a plunger H,and the rotatablemember E is provided with an equal number of similar holes J, each ofwhich contains a comparatively long spring-controlled plunger K.

Located in juxtaposition to the rotatable member D is a stationaryingredient-receiving trough L, which is adapted to receive the powderedingredients from the receptacle.

M. The trough L is provided with an open bottom so that when thepowdered ingredients are placed in said trough'said powder will restupon the upper face ofthe'rotatable member D. I

In the operation of the machine illustrated, the rotatable member D isrotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. II of the,drawing, and as the holes in said rotatable member pass under the troughL,

said holes will be filled with powder, due to the fact that the plungersH in said holes are drawn downwardly to provide powderreceiving spacesin said holes. When the holes which contain the powder pass around tothe opposite side of the machine, the plungers K carried by the rotatingmember E are engaged by a cam N, andsaidplungers are caused to movedownwardly where they are engaged by the rotating roller P, whereby saidplungers receive the final downward thrust. The plungers H carried bythe rotating member D are "caused to move upwardly by mechanism which isnot shown, at the same time that the plunger's are moving downwardly,consequentlythe powder in the holes Gr will be compressed between theends of the plungers H and K whereby the tablets are formed. After theforming ofa tablet has taken place, the

face of the rotating member D, and when said tablet reaches a pointadjacent to the spout C the inclined portion L of the trough L willdeflect said tablet int-o said spout. The foregoing matter brieflydescribes one type of tablet-forming machine which is now in generaluse, and as said mechanism forms no part of my invention, I do not deemit necessary to describe same any further. a

The invention consists in a means for gathering the completed tabletsand permitting same to accumulate until. a predetermined number has beenreached, when said accumulated tablets will be delivered in a body to abox or other container which has been previously properly located toreceive said tablets. y

1 designates an inclined receptacle which comprises a U-shaped bodyportion provided With a cover 2. The outer end of the rece'ptacle 1 isprovided with a discharge end 3 which extends downwardly at a greaterangle than the body portion of said receptacle'l By referring to Fig. Iof the drawing it will beseen that the receptacle 1 is t::- V

pered, the body portion of said receptacle being of such width as to'fitsnugly between the upturned flanges of the spout C andthe discharge endthereof being reduced in width so as to discharge the tablets into acomparatively small container. The receptacle 1 is secured in place inthe spout C by means'of a pair of set screws 1.

Formed at the upper edges of the side walls of the body portion of thereceptacle 1 is a pair of cars 5, each of which is provided with anopening which receives a transverse oscillatory rod 6. The ears 5 arepreferably provided with bushings 7 in which said rod 6 is journaled.Secured in any suitable manner to the transverse rod 6 is a gate 8 inthe form of a flat piece of metal of the approz-limate width of theinside of the receptacle The lower portion of said gate contacts withthe lower inside face of the discharge portion of said receptacle, andsaid gate prevents any tablets which may find their way into thereceptacle 1 from passing there'- through while/ said gate is in aclosed posi tion. One of the outer ends of the transverse rod 6 is bentto provide a crank arm 9 for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed.

Fixed to an upright rod R which forms a stationary part of the machineis a collar 10, said collar being preferably formed .in two parts whichare secured together around said rod by means of screws or otherfastening devices 11. Extending outwardly from said collar 10 is a shortrod 12 to which a trip arm 13 is pivotally secured, said trip arm beingpivoted appr Ximately at its center to said rod. Pivotally'attached tothe lower end of the trip arm 13 is a connecting member 14 which, with asimilar connecting member 15 which is pivotally connected to the crankarm 9, serves to cooperatively connect the trip arm 13 to theoscillatory rod 6. The connecting members 14 and 15 are connectedtogether by means of bolts 16 which pass through slots 17 in said members to permit the adjustment of said members relative to each other.

Secured to the rotatable head E is a split band 18, said band beingprovided with ears 19 which receive a bolt 20 whereby said band isclamped to said rotating head. Secured to the band 18 in any suitablemanner is a block 21 which is provided with aprojection 22.

Arranged around the oscillatory rod 6 at a. point adjacent to the crankarm 9 is a torsional coil spring 23, one end of said torsional coilspring being fixed to the discharge end of the receptacle 1 and theother end thereof bearing against a portion of said crank arm.

The operation of my accumulating device is as follows:

Assuming that the parts of the machine and of the accumulating deviceare in the positions that they will assume immediately after the tabletswhich have previously accumulated in the receptacle 1 have beendischarged therefrom, as each hole G in the rotating member D arrives ata point adjacent to the spout C a formed tablet will be discharged intosaid spout and consequently into the receptacle 1, wherein said tabletswill be stopped by the gate 8. The member E, it will be remembered,rotates at the same time andat the same speed as the member D,consequently when the die-carrying members D and E have almost completeda revolution, during which time the desired number of tablets have beendeposited in the receptacle 1, the projection 22 on. the member E willbe in osition to again engage theupper end 0 the trip arm 13, and uponsaid projection engaging'said trip arm the lower end thereof will beswung rearwardly, thereby causing the connecting members l l and 15 tolikewise move rearwardly, thus oscillating the rod 6 against the actionof the spring 23, thereby swinging the gate 8 upwardly and permittingthe accumulated tablets to pass from the receptacle 1. After theprojection 22 has passed beyond the upper end of the trip arm 18 thespring 23 will return the parts to their normal positions.

1. An accumulating device for a machine having a head for forming thearticles produced by said machine, comprising a receptacle adapted toreceive a plurality of said articles, a hinged means within saidreceptacle, said hinged means being periodically actuated whereby saidaccumulated articles are permitted to pass from said receptacle, andmeans associated with said head adapted to periodically actuate saidhinged means.

2. An accumulating device for a machine having a head for forming thearticles produced by said machine, comprising a receptacle adapted toreceive a plurality of said articles, a hinged means within saidreceptacle, said means being periodically actuated whereby saidaccumulated articles are permitted to pass from said receptacle, andmeans on said head adapted to periodically actuate said hinged means. I

3. An accumulating devicefor a machine having a rotating head,comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of ar-.

ticles formed by said machine, a hinged means within said receptacle,said means being periodically actuated whereby said accumulated articlesare permitted to pass from said receptacle, and means on said rotatinghead adapted to periodically actuate said hinged means.

4:. An accumulating device for a machine having a rotating head,comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of articlesformed by said machine, a hinged means within said receptacle, saidmeans being periodically actuated whereby said accumulated articles arepermitted to pass from said receptacle, and means for actuating saidhinged means comprising a pivoted member, means connecting said pivotedmember to the hinged means within the receptacle, and means on saidrotating head of the machine adapted to periodically engage said pivotedmember to actuate said hinged means.

5. An accumulating device for a machine having a rotating head,comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of articlesformed by said machine, a hinged means within said receptacle, saidmeans being periodically actuated whereby said accumulated articles arepermitted to pass from said receptacle, and means for actuating saidhinged means, comprising a pivoted member, means pivotally secured tothe lower end of said pivoted member whereby said pivoted member isconnected to said hinged means, and a projection on said rotating headof the machine adapted to periodically engage the upper end of saidpivoted member to actuate said hinged means.

6. An accumulating device for a machine having a rotating head,comprising a receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of articlesformed by said machine, a hinged means within said receptacle, saidmeans being periodically actuated whereby said accumulated articles arepermitted to pass from said receptacle, and means for actuating saidhinged means, comprising a pivoted member, means pivotally secured tothe lower end of said pivoted member whereby said pivoted member isconnected to said hinged means within the inclined receptacle, and aband encircling the rotating head of the machine, said band beingprovided with a projection adapted to periodically engage the upper endof said pivoted member to actuate said hinged means.

, 7. An accumulating device for a machine having a rotating head,comprising an inclined receptacle adapted to receive a pluraL ity ofarticles formed by said machine, an

oscillatory rod extending transversely of said inclined receptacle, oneend portion of said oscillatory rod being shaped to form a crank arm, agate secured to said oscillatory rod and adapted to close one end ofsaid inclined receptacle, and means whereby said rod is oscillated toswing said gate upwardly to permit the accumulated articles to pass fromthe inclined receptacle comprising a pivoted member, connecting meansone end of which is pivotally secured to the lower end of said pivotedmember and the other end thereof secured to the crank arm on theoscillatory rod, and a band encircling the rotating head of the machine,said band being provided with a projection adapted to periodicallyengage the upper end of said pivoted member to actuate said hingedmeans.

EDWIN W. GROVE, J R.

